


Blades Up

by Fuffywumple



Category: Terminator (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood, Dani x Grace will be endgame, F/F, Fictional Hockey League, Hockey AU, I love Grace x Sarah, Lesbian Sex, More tags to be added, Recreational Drug Use, Rivals to Lovers, Smut, blood mention, but Dani and Grace are the true endgame, cannon-typical strong language, mild violence, nothing illegal tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:34:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28511976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuffywumple/pseuds/Fuffywumple
Summary: As the Captains of archrival hockey teams, Grace Harper and Dani Ramos have always had a tense relationship with one another, but when a sex scandal between Grace and her team's coach forces her to trade to Dani's team, the two find that they have more in common that they thought.
Relationships: Grace Harper/Dani Ramos, Sarah Connor/Grace Harper
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all. As I said in the description, this is just a little prologue to motivate me with this fic. I'll start working more in it once I'm in a comfortable spot in my other fic. Thanks to everyone who is giving this a read, and I hope y'all enjoy.

With one last wretch, Grace Harper puked up the last of her lunch into the dirty toilet bowl. She spat out the remaining congealed food stuck in the back of her throat, before flushing the toilet. It was a common pre-game ritual for Grace to throw up; it was a good sign, actually. She was ready for anything.

“Harper!”A voice called from afar. “We’re out on the ice any second now!”

Heaving, Grace turned her head away from the toilet, “I’ll be right there!”

Sounds of thunderous applause and pounding music made their way into the dressing room bathroom. Grace’s heart drummed to the beat, her exhales matching the joyous screams of the thousands of fans in the stands, waiting to see the show. Each new breath was heavier than the last, as Grace tried to soak in as much of the experience as she could.

Footsteps coming closer to the stall let Grace know that her concerned teammate was still curious, “You alright in there, Captain?”

“I’m fine.” Grace spat, “just a pregame ritual.”

There was a hesitance, “Okay… Well, they’re all asking for ya.”

Grace could just imagine the crowd screaming her name, itching to see her breakneck speeds and competitive ferocity on the ice, and she was just as eager to show them.

“I’ll be out in a second.” Grace reassured, dabbing her lips with a little bit of toilet paper before bringing her hand down on the plunger. Getting back on her skates was a bit of a trial in such a small space, especially since she had to rise from her knees, but she planted her hands on both sides of the stall, and hauled herself up.

Slamming the stall door open, Grace took her teammate by surprise as she carefully made her way out of the stall, maintaining her balance walking on ice skates. Beside her, number 37 perked to attention.

“Finally.” Her teammate said, “let’s get a move on. The first game in the season waits for no one.”

“I know.” Grace said, brushing past her, “I’m ready.”

Flustered, 37 hustled to keep up with Grace, “Both teams are already out on the ice. Just waiting for you.”

“Ramos’ team?” Grace asked, walking with intent, “who does she have on net?”

37 chuckled, “Simmons. Her coach is out of his mind.”

“Good.” Grace said. Simmons was predictable, a rookie. Smashing through her defense didn’t even cause Grace to break a sweat; she could taste the victory already. Turning the corner, a blast of cool air and the roar of the crowd overwhelmed Grace, making her muscles quiver.

The rink was filled with players. On the left side, Grace’s own blue, white, and orange jerseys skated circles around each other, sticks smacking against the ice as blades cut through the surface of it. On the other side red, brown, and black jerseys swarmed the net, each player firing another puck past their defenseless goalie. The Mexico City Soldiers were no joke of a team, but Grace was confident that this was the year they took the title from them.

As soon as Grace’s skates hit the ice, the crowd exploded in uproarious applause. They loved her. They were screaming for her. Each and every one of her nerves lit on fire, driving her to throw her arms up, listening to the crowd go wild in response. After grabbing her stick, Grace slid over to join the rest of her team on the left side of the ice.

“Captain, you made it.” One of them said.

Grace chuckled, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” 


	2. Chapter 1: Sex, Booze, and Hockey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace Harper contemplates her decisions as her team faces the possibility of not making the playoffs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da! After a long-ass drought, and a sprained wrist to tie it all together, I have something to put out! I know it's mostly just worldbuilding, but a story has to start somewhere, right?
> 
> PS. Get ready for immediate smut. I mean, directly off the bat. I really dove right in.

The usual silence in Grace’s hotel room was broken by a breathy moan, as Sarah Connor shoved two fingers deep into Grace’s cunt. Legs trembling, Grace struggled to keep herself upright against the wall, fighting the urge to sink to the floor and let Sarah’s mouth finish the job.

It was unusual for Grace to let Sarah take full control over her, but the defeat from that day’s game left the team captain yearning for anything that would take her mind off of her failures.

Sarah’s fingers curled when they reached the deepest part of Grace, dragging along the  _ perfect  _ spot. The sensation caused a cry to tear from Grace’s throat as she bucked her hips against Sarah’s working hand, silently pleading for the older woman to bring her mouth down. She got her wish, and Sarah’s warm lips pressing against Grace’s clit was the last push she needed. With a guttural cry, Grace released, and Sarah licked up every last bit of it.

As Sarah wiped the dripping cum from her lips, Grace pulled her pants and underwear up her legs together, stepping towards the window overlooking the city skyline as she did so.

“Your welcome, kid.” Sarah said, still on her knees by the wall.

“Kid?” Grace zipped up her jeans, then turned to face Sarah, “I’m twenty-four.”

“And I’m forty-nine.” Sarah said, “you’re still relatively young to me.”

Grace scoffed, looking back out the window, “Say that to the wall you just finger-fucked me against, weirdo.”

“I’d rather not.” Sarah groaned behind Grace, signaling that she was making her way to her feet. Despite only being middle aged, Sarah had an impressive amount of battle wounds and scars, ones that Grace didn’t really ask about; partially because it wasn’t her business, and partially because she didn’t care.

Enjoying the feeling of cool air on her bare tits, Grace didn’t bother putting on the rest of her clothes. Instead, she reached to the small table in front of the windows, and plucked a joint out of the Altoids tin she kept them in.

“You can’t smoke in here.” Sarah said from the bed.

“I don’t care.” Grace responded, lighting it.

There wasn’t a lot she cared about as of recently. Even the sex she usually enjoyed felt bland and unaccomplishing compared to most nights. Grace knew why the world felt dull that evening, why everything had lost its significance in her eyes. It was all because of Dani Ramos.

Every time Grace closed her eyes, she saw that smug face speeding past her on the ice. Her muscles ached when thinking about trying to keep up with the speed demon who had just one more trick than Grace did. She was good, fast, lithe, and Grace would have done anything to be better than her.

“Get that girl out of your mind.” Sarah said.

Playing dumb, Grace continued to stare out the window, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sarah’s voice came out as a growl, “You know what I mean. It’s Dani. You’re obsessed with her.”

Grace spun around, taking a large drag from her joint, “Dani? Hmph. Dani’s thirty-six. She had her prime on the ice ten years ago. I’m what’s new right now, I’m the young prodigy. In two years, Dani will be retired, and watching as I wipe up the carcass of her remaining team.”

On the bed, Sarah lifted her eyebrow, and flashed a smirk. Grace’s little outburst only proved her point. Deep down, Grace knew that Sarah  _ was  _ right, but she would never admit it. Instead, she just turned back around to face the window, “Whatever.”

“Something tells me that Dani, with the kind of pro she is, won’t let age get in her way.” Sarah said, “I wouldn’t count on her retiring too soon. She’s a stubborn bastard.”

“And so am I,” a puff of smoke leaked from Grace’s mouth as she spoke, “she’ll slow down, and when she does, I’ll skate circles around her.”

“This obsession of yours is starting to take a toll,” Sarah said, “you treat any game _not_ against Dani like it’s some sort of playdate. The next _two games_ you play are against northern teams, and if we lose them, we don’t make the playoffs.”

“I am not obsessed.” Grace smashed the joint down on her ashtray.

“You’re missing the point.” Sarah was beginning to seethe, “I need you to get your goddamn head in the game, or we won’t have a season at all. Dani is not your only opponent out there, and if you really do want to be better than her, you need to take it seriously.”

Tired of the conversation, Grace reached over and grabbed her button-up and slung it over her shoulders, not even bothering with her bra.

“Where are you going?” Sarah asked, still lying naked on the bed.

Grace brushed past her as she buttoned up the shirt, “Downstairs. There’s a bar in the lobby.”

Sarah sighed, “Don’t be out too late. You have a game tomorrow morning, and I want you primed and ready.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Grace opened the door, “get dressed.” She closed the door before Sarah could say anything in return. Free from the weight of Sarah’s judging stare, Grace rolled her shoulders and took confident strides down the hall before reaching the stairwell.

Despite being on the sixth floor, Grace took the stairs. She told people it was because she wanted to stay in shape whenever possible, but really, she was scared of elevators. They were freaky, unpredictable, and absolute deathtraps.

Even at midnight, the hotel lobby was bustling with activity. The traffic was equal amounts hockey players as it was the general public and reporters swarming the area. Half the teams in the league were staying at this specific hotel, the others were staying at the one over on Richmond.

Grace ducked her head, striding over to where the bar was. The lights were dimmer, and the crowd was a fraction of the size. The young hotshot found her way to the bar like water in the desert, and made her order before she even sat down.

“Whiskey. Rocks.” Grace said, planting herself in the seat. The bartender nodded, and turned without a word. Grace’s whole body felt lighter than normal, swimming with weed and post-coital bliss. She tried to get comfortable with that feeling, but her muscles squeezed together when she remembered the game she would have to do against Portland the next day. 

Portland was, by no means, the best team in the league, but they were a stiff challenger to the Cybers. They were a team that favored their defensive maneuvers rather than their offence, which was a really good counter to the Cybers’ aggressively offensive reputation, especially  _ Grace’s  _ offensive tendencies.

Grace had to remind herself to unclench her jaw and lower her shoulders. Stressing herself and tightening herself would just lead to sore muscles and a sour mental state for the game the next day, and Grace had to do everything she could to perform well, or she would have to kiss heated battles against the Soldiers goodbye.

“Harper?” A voice called from behind Grace. The tense captain whipped her head around, almost falling off the barstool as she did so, and as it turned out, she had every reason to be on edge.

“What’re you doing down at the bar so late?” Dani Ramos asked, a gentle smile on her face; one that Grace didn’t trust for even a second. She huffed in response, her tongue probing the gum where her right canine tooth used to be. Getting a puck to the mouth tended to do that to someone.

After a moment, Grace realized that responding to Dani was probably the best way to get rid of her, “Couldn’t sleep.” The lie was a simple one, but not entirely untrue.

“So, you decided to drink?” Dani’s voice had a shadow of a laugh behind it, “doesn’t seem very productive.”

Instead of snapping, which Grace really wanted to do, she restrained every muscle in her body to answer with a level voice, “It helps me sleep.”

“Right.” Dani tapped her knuckles on the bar, then shifted her weight uncomfortably. Before long, Grace realized what Dani was getting at, and had to hold back a groan. The  _ last  _ thing she wanted was to have Dani around to remind her of all her failures as a hockey player. Grace did the best she could to ignore Dani’s entire existence, which made the air between them the most awkward thing that Grace had ever come to experience.

Dani cleared her throat, then leaned forward, “Mind if I take a seat?”

No, Grace thought. Instead, however, she just nodded at the seat beside her, feeling her stomach swirl as Dani took to the stool with, well, grace.

“What’s got you up so late, if I might ask?” Dani said, signaling to the bartender that she wanted a drink of her own.

“Talking strategy.” Grace lied, yet again.

Dani gave a thoughtful nod, “Right. You’ve got a game tomorrow, don’t you?”

Grace nodded, taking a rather large sip of her bourbon. It was a game she couldn’t afford to lose, and she had to act like it. She’d probably have herself up early and at the rink before game time to practice her shot. Her eye was already impeccable, but she found comfort in the mundane practice of shooting the puck over and over again. It made her feel like she wouldn’t lose her edge.

“Who’s it with, again?” Dani asked, trying to strike up a conversation with a rather unresponsive Grace.

“Portland.” Grace said, almost snorting. The Pikes were a joke. As far as Grace could remember, they haven’t even made the playoffs. Crushing them wouldn’t cause Grace to break a sweat, even if she was still drunk, which she would probably be.

The smaller woman nodded, thanking the bartender as he slid a drink to her. The players were lucky that they were given the free drink treatment while staying at the hotel. The perks of being famous, Grace figured, but she wouldn’t even think to complain about it.

“I think I’ll come.” Dani said, “not the kind of game I’d want to miss.”

Grace felt her whole body light on fire at the idea of Dani being eager to see her play. Each beat of her heart pumped flames through Grace’s veins, making her want to get up and on the ice  _ right that second _ to show Dani how good she really was.

Restraining herself, Grace just shuffled in her chair, and found her thumb brushing against the bulging scar just under her right eye. It was a little over a year old at that point, but the skin was still swollen and slick.

Dani watched Grace’s finger, then spoke in a gentle voice, “I remember that. It was terrifying.”

Grace tried to ignore the other woman, but when she closed her eyes, all Grace could see was blood spilled on the ice, trickling into the grooves that countless blades had carved into the ice. Each time Grace remembered it, the flash of panic felt just as real as it did in the moment. Her chest burned as she turned to Dani, trying to keep the tears in her eyes.

“What’s it to you?” Grace asked, her voice almost breaking, “you were on the bench when it happened. Nowhere near the carnage.”

The chill to Grace’s voice must have carried the effect more than she wanted it to, because Dani dipped her head before she spoke, “I know, but I was scared for you. Seeing something like  _ that _ … I mean, all that blood. It’s a scary thing.”

As Grace looked at Dani, she didn’t see the face of her fellow hockey player; all she saw was her own failure. Dani represented the best of the league as it was, which didn’t include Grace. Dani wasn’t just a hockey player, she was everything Grace  _ wasn’t _ , but wanted, no,  _ needed  _ to be. So, she felt her face burn, and turned away, not being able to face her the disappointment she felt in herself.

Dani huffed through her nose, a small smile on her face, “You know, in my household, we had a saying, a mantra. ‘ _ Poco a poco se anda lejos _ .’ You know what that means?”

Frustrated, Dani had somehow made Grace  _ regret  _ going for a drink, “No.”

“‘Little by little,’” Dani explained, “‘he goes far.’ Don’t give up, Grace. Hockey is in your blood, and anyone who  _ doesn’t  _ see that when you play, doesn’t know what the spirit of the game looks like.”

Against all odds, Grace felt a knot loosen in her stomach.

Dani swung her cup back, downing the whole drink in just one gulp with nothing more than a clear of her throat and a gentle cough, “The night is late. If I don’t get to bed soon, I won’t be able to sleep.”

Grace nodded, “I should too.”

“Agreed.” Dani stood from her stool, “can’t play when you’re half asleep.”

The blonde tapped her glass against the bar gently, listening to the ice clink together as she let her mind mull over Dani’s words.  _ The spirit of hockey _ was something Grace tried to harness ever since she was eight.

“And let it be known,” Dani said, as she stood up to leave the bar; her hand rested on Grace’s shoulder, “that I see the future of hockey when I look into your eyes.”

With that, Dani left the young player alone at the bar, to stare into her glass and let those words echo in her mind. Dani spoke as if she cared about Grace. Yeah, right. Both players had been looking to destroy each other the second Grace made her League debut two years ago. There was no way Dani wanted to keep Grace around despite the threat the blonde posed on Dani’s crown.

Right?  
Grace’s vision started to dip and wobble, her mind started to wander back to how Dani’s hand felt against her shoulder; warm and soft. Spending too much longer at the bar would make Grace stay there all night, and blow her chances to show Dani what she was made of the next day. She left her half empty drink at the bar, and stumbled her way back up to the hotel room, where Sarah had already cleared out from.

****

The second Grace’s skates touched the ice at ten AM the next morning was when she really regretted drinking the night before. Her head rippled, her stomach sloshed around as she took deep breaths in an attempt to not puke yet again. Enough practice and Gatorade should get her in the skating mood.

Grace let herself glide on the relatively untouched ice, feeling as the chill of the ice crept up her arms and back, cooling down the explosion of heat in her head. She grabbed her water bottle and flooded her mouth with lemon-lime Gatorade, trying to ignore the pulsing across her temples.

Coming in beside her, Sarah waited until Grace had downed her fair share of Gatorade until she spoke, “Rough night last night?”

It was too early for Grace to be feeling both hungover  _ and  _ irritable, “I feel fine.”

“You’re as pale as the ice.” Sarah said.

“Give me a few minutes to warm up.” Grace replied, flippant.

“Don’t be snippy with me.” Sarah warned, “or you’re gonna be parked on the bench.”

Grace chuckled, putting the bottle down, “Bench me and we’ll lose. You know I’m the heart of this team.”

Sarah said nothing, just scribbled on her clipboard, “Just… get moving. You need to look presentable for when Portland gets here in an hour to practice on their side of the ice.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.” Grace said, leaning against the bench door, waiting for Sarah to fuck off.

The coach seemed to have the same idea, staring Grace down while scratching at the ice with her skate. Grace rolled her eyes, then reached into the bench to grab her helmet and stick, pushing off of the boards. Grace popped the mouth guard from her teeth, chewing on it as she glided along the ice. 

McCloud, wearing the number 14, turned on a dime, skating beside her lead Captain, “You’re not looking so hot, Grace.”

“Worry about yourself.” Grace replied, sliding the mouth guard back on to the top row of her teeth, “how’s the ankle?”

McCloud lifted her right ankle, rolling it clockwise for a second, “Much better. It doesn’t click anymore, which is nice.”

Grace nodded, “Be careful with it, and don’t be afraid of the bench right now. Last thing we want is for you to wreck it even further.”

She hummed, then changed courses and chased Healy, number 29, down the left side of the ice. Meanwhile, Grace found a loose puck, and cradled it with the blade of her stick, moving it left and right.

“Well? Why don’t you shoot it?” A familiar voice called. When Grace turned her head, she saw Rachel Dowry, Goaltender wearing number 1, taunting her.

Grace smiled, turning herself and the puck around to face the net, and a confident Dowry, “You sure about that?”

“Why not?” Rachel shrugged, then dropped her mask over her face.

The captain coasted along the ice, making her way across the blue line, “I’d hate to humiliate you in front of the whole team. I mean, I’m still a little hungover.”

Dowry chuckled, “You don’t have to worry ‘bout my feelings. Just shoot.”

Grace played with the puck for a moment, pushing it back and forth with the blade of her stick yet again. She backhanded the puck to the right, then scooped it up to the left, envisioning her possible plays.

“Unless you’re too chicken.” Dowry taunted, smacking her stick against the ice.

With the scrape of her skates against the ice, Grace charged forwards giving the puck a wide dribble as she weighed the options she ran though. Dowry had excellent reflexes, so trying to go between her legs or along the ice wasn’t a viable option. However, Grace knew that the typical goaltender mask left little to be desired in terms of peripheral vision, if she could fake Dowry out just at the right angle, she could chip the puck up and over her glove.

Grace took a sharp left, narrowing her dribble until she stopped it altogether, then pretended to shoot the puck to her right. While Dowry was too busy lunging to protect the net, Grace used her opposite hand to chip the puck up, and right over Dowry’s leg pad to let the puck find the back of the net.

With a little whoop, Grace let the momentum of her charge steer her forward, twisting her ankles only a little bit to ride along the side of the boards, watching as Dowry shook her head and flicked the puck out of the crease with her stick.

“About those feelings of yours…” Grace made her way back to the net.

The goaltender had lifted up her mask, “You got lucky.”

Grace rolled her shoulders, feeling the blood rushing back to her face, “Luck’s got nothing to do with it.”

“Laine isn’t going to let that fly.” Dowry warned, “she’s one of the best goalies in the league, so don’t get too confident.”

“So you admit,” Grace said, “that you suck?”

Dowry didn’t laugh that time, “I’m serious. Too much is riding on this game, and lately you’ve been…” she caught herself, refusing to finish what she had started.

Grace tilted her head, moving closer to Dowry, “I’ve been what?”

The smart woman didn’t reply, she just reached over and took a chug of her water, but Grace was insistent, she would keep picking until she got what she wanted.

“Out with it.” Grace said.

“Volatile.” Dowry said, “you’ve been volatile. One minute, you’re skating like a beast, sinking the puck into the net like it’s nothing, and the next you’re getting into fights, tripping, and playing like a joke.” The goaltender looked a little out of breath after pushing all of those thoughts out. Grace wondered how long she had been holding them back.

Either way, Grace tried to shrug it off, “I know what I’m doing. We’ve gotten this far, haven’t we?”

Dowry shrugged, “Barely. And now we’re hanging on with the skin of our teeth. If we want a shot at taking down Mexico City, we need to pick up our shit. Because with what we have now, we can’t even dream of winning a series against them.”

The sharp sound of Sarah’s whistle made Grace cringe. She turned around to find a rather unhappy coach making her way towards them.

“Chit chat is nice and all,” Sarah said, “but I’d prefer if we would get warmed up a little first, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes ma’am.” Dowry dropped the mask down over her face, and Grace shrugged off Sarah’s glare as she started skating down the ice, dragging her stick along with her.

Now with the net freed up, several players took their shots on goal, and Grace found herself practicing her dribble in figure-8s over and over again until she was out of breath. Flushed and out of breath, Grace glided back to the bench and gave herself another mouthful of water, then leaned against the boards for a few minutes.

Before Grace knew it, the Portland players found their way to the ice for warm-up, confining the Cybers to the right side of the ice as game time loomed ever closer. The lack of room gave the team an excuse to practice in shifts, giving Grace the chance to try and blink away her headache before a slam into the boards gave her another one.

“How’s the benchwarming, Harper?” A voice called from the Portland bench. When Grace looked over, she saw a familiar red haired woman looking back at her.

“Oh, you know, just riding out this hangover.” Grace chirped back, happy to hear from Portland defensewoman number 93.

The woman grinned back, tapping her stick down, “Don’t blow it out there, yeah?”

“I think you should worry about yourself.” Grace said, “you’re looking extra punchable today.”

“Oh you wish.”

Every second closer to the game made Grace’s stomach do backflips over and over until she was ready to throw up, which meant she was ready. The smells of popcorn and other assorted greasy foods from the audience filling the stands really didn’t make her feel any better; in fact, she nearly gagged with each inhale.

On her way back into the locker room, Grace scanned the audience, looking for a certain face among everyone there, but the glare of the lights made each face of the crowd an indistinguishable sound.

Grace rushed to the bathroom, then slammed a stall door behind her before she puked into the toilet, barely making it in time. Her guts heaved, lungs straining as she vomited booze and Gatorade into the grimey toilet bowl. The chants and cheers of the team muffled around the corner was almost drowned out by the garish sound of Grace’s next heave.

Once she finished, Grace chugged water from the sink, spitting it back down the drain until her mouth  _ didn’t _ taste like roadkill dipped in cat piss, then went back to the team as if she had been there the whole time.

The sound of the announcer from out in the rink made it feel like there was somehow still more shit left in her stomach. Every game felt like the most important game to Grace, but this one really was. If Dallas lost either of the next two games, they wouldn’t make the playoffs for the first time in the league.

“Impress me out there.” Sarah said, “I know you can.”

Grace’s heart was on the verge of exploding when she nodded, waiting for the announcer’s que to make her way out onto the ice. 

From behind, Dowry nudged Grace with the pad of her glove, “You ready?”

“You know it.” Grace said, even though she couldn’t shake the fear of failure. When her skates touched the ice, she felt her whole body shudder in the anticipation, and when she leaned in for the face-off, she had never felt more alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Wtf was that formatting lol


End file.
